Larimer Prosecutor Suspected of Infiltrating Seminar on Defending Medical Marijuana Patients
Contact: Brian Vicente, executive director of Sensible Colorado, 720-280-4067
FORT COLLINS Today Larimer County Chief Judge James A. Hiatt agreed to a hearing to determine if the Larimer County District Attorney's Office should be recused from a prominent "test case" of Colorado's medical marijuana law after a member of the office suspectedly infiltrated a private seminar on defending medical marijuana patients.
Larimer Deputy District Attorney Tom Lynch is currently prosecuting Fort Collins medical marijuana patients and care providers James and Lisa Masters on felony charges of cultivation and intent to distribute. On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Masters' attorney, Brian Vicente, was giving a private presentation to the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar on defending medical marijuana patients in Colorado when members of the audience recognized Lynch and removed him from the room. The prosecutor is also suspected of taking a copy of the training manual that corresponded with the seminar.
The judge agreed to hear Vicente's motion to have Lynch recused from the case on Feb. 24. A forthcoming motion will further argue that because Lynch is a representative of the Larimer County District Attorney's Office, the entire office has been tainted and a Special Prosecutor should be appointed to handle the Masters case.
"This was an underhanded move by a Colorado public servant to circumvent the will of Colorado's voters and further harass those who cultivate and use marijuana for medical purposes," Vicente said. "Colorado prosecutors should be going out of their way to get dangerous criminals off the streets, not to imprison medical marijuana patients and care providers." | 
